Transforming Retail Awards – why YOU should enter!
Calling all innovative companies who want to tell the world about their amazing work… you have until 10th July to enter Retail Insider’s fourth annual Transforming Retail Awards. And the good news in these times of straitened finances for retail is that it is entirely free to enter and also very easy.
Far from being irrelevant during a pandemic, we feel it is more than usually important to highlight some of the amazing and agile moves retailers have made to adapt to a changing shopping environment.
The variety of companies that have entered since we began the Awards is remarkable and we have had winners of all types and sizes. Sometimes tech companies apply for their work with a specific retailer and sometimes retailers enter standalone initiatives.
In the first year food-to-go provider Tossed won two categories for its work to go cashless while Starbucks came out on top in its category for its Barista app. Deliveroo’s dark kitchens also won as did Shop Direct’s Very Assistant for its WhatsApp style customer assistant. These innovations are now part of the mainstream.
In 2018 YourStudio’s work for TopShop featuring a virtual in–store rollercoaster ride won its category while Bloom & Wild’s letterbox flower delivery company, data-led subscription snack firm Graze and the revolutionary warehousing retailers Stowga all won too.
Last year the judges awarded some big high street names the top accolades: Specsavers, McDonalds, Waitrose, Made.com all won their respective categories although start-ups like luxury provenance-tracker Entrupy also featured.
The quality of entries started high in 2017 and has remained high since then but luckily we have a top-notch, and completely independent, panel of judges to do the hard work and create a shortlist plus eventual winner in each of our categories.
This year we are delighted to welcome/welcome back the following as judges: Paul Wilkinson, senior product manager for Alexa shopping, Amazon; Martin Newman, founder, Customer First Group; Lawrence Shaw, CEO, Sitemorse; Simon Calver, head of venture investments, BGF Ventures; Edwina Dunn, CEO, Starcount; Sarah McVittie, co-founder, Dressipi and Dave Elston, digital consultant. They are firm but fair!
Companies of all kinds and sizes enter via a simple written application form. The categories have had a slight change this year as we felt there was so much great work being done around sustainability that it really needed its own category while the Overall Technology category has gone.
We already have some entries in but are very much looking forward to receiving more. UK retailers and retail-focused tech companies – you have nothing to lose. Forms and category info are available on request from Christina@busicomm.co.uk
More information on the Awards can be found here:
Good luck!
Glynn Davis, Editor, Retail Insider